Date of Award
Summer 2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Organizational Leadership
First Advisor
Dr. Joshua D. Henson
Second Advisor
Dr. Debra J. Dean
Third Advisor
Dr. Katrina Hutchins
Abstract
This qualitative case study examined the impact of servant leadership on organizational culture, service delivery, and long-term sustainability within faith-based nonprofit organizations serving marginalized and racialized populations. The research focused on the City of Refuge (COR) in Atlanta, Georgia, an organization with a holistic mission dedicated to life transformation through supportive services. Employing Greenleaf’s servant leadership theory as the theoretical framework, data were gathered via semistructured interviews with nine staff members and analyzed thematically. The findings revealed three primary themes: cultivating culture, cultivating compassion, and cultivating community. The results indicated that servant leadership positively influenced COR's capacity to foster trust, empower personnel, uphold client dignity, and ensure programming stability. Despite encountering financial constraints and structural obstacles, COR's commitment to service-oriented leadership contributed to a robust, mission-focused culture. This study contributed to the limited body of research on servant leadership within nonprofit contexts and offered a transferable model for other faithbased organizations aiming to serve vulnerable populations. Recommendations for practice included training in servant leadership concepts, stakeholder participation, and strategic sustainability planning.
Recommended Citation
Mosely, A. D. (2025). SERVANT LEADERSHIP IN EMPOWERING MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES: A QUALITATIVE CASE STUDY OF A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WITH A HOLISTIC MISSION. [Doctoral dissertation, Southeastern University]. FireScholars. https://firescholars.seu.edu/org-lead/61